Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to develop five more hi-tech townships in the state, equipped with modern facilities.

Two hi-tech townships would be developed in National Capital Region (NCR), while three other would come up in non NCR cities, a senior official said on Thursday.

“Tenders for selection of private agency, who will develop the townships, would be floated soon,” he added.

The state government had already released licences for development of 10 hi-tech townships in seven cities across the state, the official said, adding that work on some had already started.

The officer said that the decision to develop five more townships was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by the state chief secretary.

NCR towns, where the new townships would be developed, include Khurja and Bulandshahar.

Non-NCR towns identified by the government are Lucknow, Allahabad and Saharanpur, the officer said.

In the wake of increasing housing demand, specially high class societies, in the big cities, the previous Mulayam Singh led government formulated a hi-tech township policy in 2003.

Under the policy, a private developer is required to develop a township, of international standards, on minimum 1,500 acre of land with an investment of Rs750 crore.

The townships would have self-reliant units like infrastructure, education, health, information technology, bio-technology, out souring and banking.

Private players so far roped in by the government to develop several projects in the state include Uppal Chaddha Hi-Tech Developers Private Ltd, Ansal Properties Ltd and Sahara India Commercial Corporation for Lucknow, IVRCL among others.